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  1. A Clear Path Forward

    Fellow Stakeholders,Our theme for 2022 is A Clear Path Forward. Over the last few years, Triumph has iterated on a vision to do something truly unique and valuable in financial services. While some companies lose their clarity and purpose in the pursuit of growth, Triumph has done the opposite. Our…

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  2. Helping People Triumph

    Fellow stakeholders, Our theme this year is Helping People Triumph. It is not just our theme for this letter — it is our permanent brand promise. If there were ever a year when we needed to help each other, 2020 was the year. REVIEW OF 2020 We entered 2020…

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  3. A Trip Overview from Building Well #8

    In mid-March, twelve members of the Triumph team returned from the eighth annual trip to El Salvador through Living Water International. Below, each member of the team has shared a variety of highlights from their time serving and bringing clean water to the community of El Encanto. Stacy TBK Bank…

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  4. The Power of And

    Fellow Stakeholders, Our theme this year is The Power of &. Triumph is a bank… but we are far more than just a bank. That’s the “&” in our story. The power of an emerging transportation fintech platform housed within a community bank is unique and positions us to deliver…

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  5. Day 5: Serving Others Well

    Thursday was the team’s final day to visit the well site. The Living Water staff team applied the finishing touches in assembling the pump and flushing out the bleach that is used to disinfect the well before use. It was a laid back morning, allowing the TBK team to spend…

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  6. Day 4: Humility and Gratitude

    Wednesday was a short work day for the drill team after they hit water on Tuesday. The team spent the morning laying a concrete foundation for the water pump. This work required them to recruit six men from the community to help. The drill team finished their work in the…

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  7. Day 3: Encontramos Aqua!

    Tuesday was a great day for the TBK team in El Salvador. After their drilling progress on Monday, the team started the day excited, ready to get to work and cautiously optimistic for what the day would hold. Just before lunch, team leader Chris was working on the drill site…

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  8. Day 2: Moving Hearts and Minds

    The TBK Team arrived in El Encanto (“The Charm”) on Monday morning, ready to serve! Upon their arrival, they were greeted by scores of people from the community, as well as the mayor, the principal of the school, and a local pastor. There was a ceremony held to welcome our…

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  9. Day 1: A Broken Well Means a Second Chance

    The TBK Team arrived safely in El Salvador on Sunday to begin our 8th annual trip to El Salvador with Living Water International. After a full day of travel, and a little exploration, the team was given a briefing on where they will serve for the week. The team will…

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  10. Do you see what I see?

    The year 2019 is soon to slip into the history books. I cannot believe how fast time goes. I also cannot believe how much I sound like my dad when I say that. If you have spent any time watching television or scrolling through social media lately, you might conclude…

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  11. More than Just a Well: Reflections from Well Building #7

    TBK Bank sent its seventh team to El Salvador with Living Water International with hopes of bringing a clean water source to a school in the village of Sonsonate. Though the elevation at the school prevented the team from reaching water, the time they spent with the children and members…

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  12. Rethink Vanilla

    FELLOW STAKEHOLDERS, Our theme for 2019 is Rethink Vanilla. My goal for any shareholder letter is to do more than just recite a list of accomplishments from the prior year or tell you about financial goals for the year to come. I would like to lift the curtain and allow…

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  13. Day 5: A Final Day with the Kids

    Yesterday morning the team made their way back to the school one last time to pack up their things and say goodbye to students and community members. To end their time together, there was dancing and singing along with many tears shed by both students and TBK Bank team members.

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  14. Day 4: A Different Perspective

    On Wednesday, the TBK Bank team showed up to the school eager to make progress drilling at the new site. While the drilling team went to work, the hygiene team taught three lessons including dental hygiene (brushing and flossing), personal hygiene, and the food groups. They also shared the bible…

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  15. Day 3: Holding on to Hope

    The team began Tuesday feeling hopeful and comfortable in their roles on the drill and hygiene teams. Gabe, from the Dallas office, said, “The group has a good routine. We’ve figured out how to anticipate when another team member needs a break so someone else can step to keep our…

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  16. Day 2: Arriving at the Worksite

    Yesterday marked the first official work day for the TBK Bank team in El Salvador. The team began their day with a devotion and team time with the Chick-fil-A group before departing to their two worksites. Members of the TBK Bank team even led worship with guitar and bongo drums.

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  17. Team 7 Arrives in El Salvador

    For the 7th consecutive year, TBK Bank has sent a group of 12 team members to El Salvador with Living Water International to bring clean water to a community in need. The team arrived safely in El Salvador on Sunday afternoon! Members of this years’ team traveled from the…

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  18. A Christmas Wish for the Team

    Like many of you, I have been moved over the last few days hearing the tributes for the late George H.W. Bush. Whether or not you agreed with his politics, he was by all accounts a man of high character and wonderful decency. I was especially moved by the tribute…

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  19. A Trip Overview from Building Well #6

    The TBK Bank team returned from El Salvador at the end of April – however, they each left a piece of their hearts in El Salvador. While serving the community of San Josecito, the team learned many lessons – some the same and some very personal. Regardless of their upbringing,…

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  20. Day 5: Fútbol and Friendships

    The week is coming to an end for the TBK Bank team in El Salvador. They made great progress and enjoyed making new friends in the village of Santiago Nanualco. On Thursday, the drilling team put everything in place to make the well fully functioning. They poured the concrete foundation…

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  21. Day 4: Finding Fresh Water and A Celebration of Life

    After hitting water Tuesday, our TBK Bank team showed up Wednesday morning ready to drill a bit further to ensure that they had reached a plentiful water supply. The team was unable to drill into the next level of rock, but it was determined this well location was still viable.

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  22. Day 3: The Team Hits Water

    Tuesday proved to be a successful day for both the drilling and hygiene teams. After drilling another 20 feet during the day, the team hit water! The team plans to continue drilling a few more feet to make sure they are in an area with plentiful water supply. Once the…

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  23. Day 2: First Day of Work with a Fish and a Frog

    The TBK Bank team in El Salvador got off to a great start during their first day in Santiago Nonualco! They began with a tour of the community on which the team explored the area they will be serving for the week. They learned the well they are digging is…

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  24. Day 1: Safe Travels to El Salvador

    This year marks the 6th consecutive year that Triumph has sent a group of team members to El Salvador to drill a water well with Living Water International. Our annual trip to El Salvador is near and dear to the heart of this organization for many reasons. Living Water…

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  25. Just The Right Amount Of Epic

    FELLOW STAKEHOLDERS, TBK investors had a very good year in 2017. Our stock price returned over 20% (and has continued to significantly appreciate in early 2018). There are many factors that affect our stock price, but the only one that we can control is our execution of the business plan.

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  26. A Trip Overview from Building Well #5

    Three weeks have passed since Triumph’s team of 12 returned from building their well with Living Water International in El Salvador, but great memories and strong friendships remain. The team was faced with disappointment when the first well that they drilled could not provide enough water pressure to pump water.

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  27. The Home Stretch: Day 5 in El Salvador

    Thursday was an enjoyable day for the team in El Salvador. It started with a Living Water devotional focused on generosity and was followed by a hardy breakfast. After breakfast, the team was fueled up and ready to get to work! Minimal work remained Thursday after the team achieved significant…

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  28. A Day Can Make All the Difference: Day 4 in El Salvador

    Yesterday we shared that the Triumph team was fighting off feelings of disappointment when their original well placement, including two days’ worth of drilling, was lost due to unexpected issues with water pressure. Today, we are pleased to report that the team was able to make up lost time and…

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  29. Oh How the ‘Water Tables’ Have Turned: Day 3 in El Salvador

    After a successful first day of drilling, day two started off equally well for the Triumph team. The morning devotional focused on unity, teamwork and compassion, all of which have been visible in this group since the beginning of the trip. It wasn’t until later in the day that this…

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  30. Warm Welcomes (and Full Bellies): Day Two 2 in El Salvador

    The Triumph team is glad to report their first day in Canton Cerco de Piedra was promising! The day was filled with heartfelt greetings, drilling deep enough to strike water, connecting instantly with the people of the village and not only one, but three Salvadorian meals. A welcoming sign that…

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  31. Embarking on our Fifth Trip

    For the fifth year in a row, Triumph has sent 12 of our team members to the country of El Salvador with Living Water International to help bring clean water to a remote Salvadorian village. Why might a bank travel to another country to drill a water well? Our…

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  32. The Same, Only Different

    FELLOW STAKEHOLDERS, Every for-profit company has the same goal of creating value for their shareholders, employees, and customers. They may use different words to express it, but that is the general thesis for everyone. Triumph’s goal is no different. That leads to the logical question — if…

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  33. Image for A Season of Generosity

    A Season of Generosity

    A few weeks ago, my wife Kimberly received a surprising text from a friend who lives outside of the U.S. It asked, “May we stay with you starting December 16th?” It came as a surprise because, while we shared a group of friends, we hadn’t spent much time with this…

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  34. Image for Thanksgiving Reflection

    Thanksgiving Reflection

    Our country’s birth certificate was signed by 56 brave men in Philadelphia in 1776. They chose to make an explicit declaration that could have easily been at that time equivalent to signing their death warrant – the Declaration of Independence. We are impacted by those who came before us and…

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  35. Making a Difference with Behind Every Door

    On August 18th, Triumph team members volunteered their time at the back to school kickoff for Behind Every Door, or BED for short. Triumph provided 130 school supply kits, including pens, pencils, notebooks, folders and more for the students of the Village Oaks Apartments in south Dallas. Triumph wasn’t the…

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  36. An Open Letter to Southern Transportation Team Members

    As we complete this acquisition, I want to be the first to welcome everyone from Southern Transportation Insurance Agency to Triumph. We have been looking forward to this day and we’re glad you’re here! We’re very proud of what we’ve built at Triumph. You should be very proud of what…

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  37. An open letter to the team members of Colorado East Bank & Trust

    The day has finally arrived! After over a year of discussions and months of planning, the day of closing is here. Like me, I know many of you are excited about this transition and the opportunities it creates. I imagine some of you are anxious. Some of you may be…

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  38. Supporting Our City

    Dallas-based team- As you all know, there was a horrible tragedy in downtown Dallas last night. A peaceful protest became violent due to the actions of a few misguided individuals. We should also bear in mind that the catalyst for the rally last night was to recognize other tragedies…

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  39. Starting From a Single Seed – El Salvador Recap

    In four short days, the Triumph team drilled and established a water well in addition to teaching over 150 students about the importance of hygiene. To one Salvadorian school, the gift of a clean water source reshaped their community and eliminated the dependency on unclean pesticide-ridden water they had learned…

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  40. The Beauty in the Blossom: Day Four in El Salvador

    Today was the final day in Santiago Nonualco for Triumph. In the last three days, the Triumph team dug 51 meters into the ground, built a well, taught important personal hygiene lessons to the children, bonded with the villagers, and gave the community something they didn’t have before, clean water.

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  41. Tenacity is Patience: Day Three in El Salvador

    Some change may come overnight, but others take time. Yesterday, the Triumph team successfully reached water at 51 meters, giving the village of Santiago Nonualco their first taste of clean water. Yet, there was still much more to do. Yesterday, the team knew they had to finish building the well…

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  42. Caring with Love: Day Two in El Salvador

    At 6 A.M., with the sun peering over the horizon, many team members may consider this time as their first snooze back in the states. Instead, they were all wide awake and eager to continue the work started from the previous day. Each member knew it was going to be…

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  43. Planting the Seed: Day One in El Salvador

    Four hours and 1,400 miles later, a group of Triumph team members landed in El Salvador Sunday with the mission of establishing the gift of clean water to those in need. Partnering with Living Water International, they will spend an entire week in the community of Santiago Nonualco — a…

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  44. Different Perspective, Different Results.

    Below is the letter to shareholders from Aaron P. Graft, Chief Executive Officer of Triumph Bancorp, Inc. View the full 2015 Triumph Annual Report. March 16, 2016 Fellow Stakeholders: Different Perspective, Different Results. Anyone who follows the banking industry can quickly spot that Triumph is different from the crowd.

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  45. Triumph’s Christmas Giving Tree

    Triumph’s Dallas and Coppell team members were eager to take on the roles of Santa’s helpers by providing Christmas gifts for approximately 90 children that come from low income families in Dallas with what we call, Triumph’s Giving Tree. The real fun came on Thursday, December 17th and Friday, December…

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  46. One, Two, Three, Four, FIVE Years of Triumph

    It is crazy how quickly time flies! Five years ago, the Triumph investor group acquired Equity Bank and officially changed our name to Triumph Savings Bank. Over these past five years, the Triumph organization has gone through countless changes, acquisitions, and additions, making us almost unrecognizable compared to what we…

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  47. Triumph Listed in Top Ten of Fastest Growing Middle Market Companies in DFW

    Triumph Bancorp was recently included in the top ten of the Dallas Business Journal’s Middle Market 50, which recognized the fastest growing middle market companies in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. This is the first time a list of public and private companies with annual revenue between $25 million and $750…

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  48. Back to School with Village Oaks

    If you follow the Triumph blog, you’ve probably read about our well building trips to El Salvador with Living Water International. The team at Triumph is also excited to support our local Dallas community. Just in time for back to school, Triumph distributed 100 school supply kits for the kids…

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  49. Triumph Team Members Share Memories from Their Life-Changing Trip

    A group of Triumph team members traveled to a remote village in El Salvador for the third year in a row with the mission of digging wells to supply the gift of clean water to a community in desperate need. While this trip was meant to make a significant impact…

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  50. Triumph and Celebration: Day Four in El Salvador

    The well digging team’s final day in Santa Rosa, El Salvador was a day of triumph and celebration. While several members of the team worked to complete the well, others played soccer and tossed Frisbees with the children. Kevin and Jason securing the well cap Kurt signing the well…

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  51. A Day of Milestones: Day Three in El Salvador

    The perseverance of Triumph’s El Salvador team resulted in a day of milestones on their third day in Santa Rosa. The team worked with the women and children of the village, teaching them about the food groups and importance of eating healthy. They also showed them the connection between their…

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  52. Taking Dead Aim: Day Two in El Salvador

    Inspired by the success of the first day, Triumph’s El Salvador team went straight to work in the village of Santa Rosa on Tuesday. Kevin, Kurt, Todd, Jason and Deana prepping the next length of pipe for the drill The drilling team, consisting of Carrie, Ruth, Deana, Estevan, Kevin, Kurt…

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  53. Getting Muddy for Clean Water: Day One in El Salvador

    Triumph’s Philanthropic Vision is focused in four areas: training leaders, establishing viable communities, serving the less fortunate and giving people a second chance. One of the ways in which we serve the less fortunate is through our support of Living Water International. Why water? Water…

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  54. Triumph Lands a Spot on the Best Companies to Work for in Texas List

    On March 31, three members of Triumph’s team travelled to Austin for the celebration of the 2015 Best Companies to Work for in Texas. The Best Companies program is a project of Texas Monthly, the Texas Association of Business (TAB), Texas SHRM and the Best Companies Group. It is designed…

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  55. Straight Forward

    Below is the letter to shareholders from Aaron P. Graft, Chief Executive Officer of Triumph Bancorp, Inc. View the full 2014 Triumph Annual Report. March 16, 2015 Fellow Stakeholders, LIKE NO OTHER. Greetings and welcome to your inaugural Triumph Bancorp (TBK) annual report. I prefer direct…

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  56. Seven Resolutions for 2015

    Happy 2015! I hope each of you enjoyed the holidays and that you are still keeping your New Year’s resolutions. Due to the busyness at the end of last year and our pending initial public offering, I was not able to update my blog or send out regular team member…

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  57. An Impactful Trip: Memories from El Salvador 2014

    Many team members have described the 2014 El Salvador trip as a “trip of a lifetime” or an experience that will forever be on their heart. Whatever language was used by each team member, there was one consistent message—everyone was impacted. Below is a compilation of what each team member…

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  58. Bittersweet Day: Day Four in El Salvador

    Day four in El Salvador was filled with celebrations and tears as the well was completed and the team members and the people of Comunidad Marvin said their farewells. After the team completed the well, the people of the village and Triumph team members gathered together for the well dedication…

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  59. Overflowing Joy: Day Three in El Salvador

    After yesterday’s challenges drilling the well, the team was overwhelmed with the success of day three, hitting water at 210 feet! The drilling team began the process of preparing the well that will soon bring clean water to the Comunidad Marvin. Davis ensures the PVC casing doesn’t fall down the…

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  60. Breaking Through the Barrier: Day Two in El Salvador

    The Triumph team in El Salvador continues to break through barriers–with each other, with the people of the village, and even with the well. As the Triumph team members continue to work in Comunidad Marvin, they are overwhelmed with the love shown by the people in the village. Through time…

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  61. Light After the Storm: Day One in El Salvador

    To a community who has recently seen the devastating effects of a flood, a clean water well will be a welcoming sight. The Triumph team arrived in El Salvador on Sunday and began work in Comunidad Marvin on Monday. With only 95 people in the community, the people of Comunidad…

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  62. The Hazards of Recognition

    Disclaimer: The purpose of this post is to lay out my personal feelings about recognition. More than any other post I have written for this blog, this one reflects my personal perspective and not the thoughts, intentions, plans or strategies of any corporation, business or company with which I am…

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  63. A Triumphant Year

    The year 2013 was a transformative year for Triumph. In October, we acquired National Bancshares, Inc. (“NBI”), the parent company of THE National Bank (“TNB”). This acquisition has increased the size of our balance sheet to approximately $1.3 billion. This scale has improved Triumph’s competitive advantage remarkably. We now view…

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  64. Gratitude: My Problem with It

    I am grateful for liberty and the freedom to choose how I live my life. I am grateful I can worship God. I am grateful to be a citizen of the United States. I am grateful to be married 33 years and have four great sons ranging in age from…

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  65. An Open Letter to the Employees of THE National Bank

    Welcome to the Triumph team! This day has been a long time in the making, so I hope you will join me in celebrating our new relationship. I hope that you’re as excited about today as I am. As some of you know, Triumph was recognized as one of the…

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  66. Conflict – Bring It On

    One of the aspects of my job that I enjoy (and honestly wish I had more time for) is sitting down with members of the Triumph team to discuss the future of our organization. When I spend time with Triumph team members, there are two questions that I am asked…

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  67. Do Well. Do Good. More Than a Grammar Discussion.

    “How did you do?” “I did good.” “No, you did well. Things are good; activities go well.” I can’t tell you how many times my mom and I had this conversation. It happened often enough that I developed (or she instilled??) the questionable habit of correcting the grammar of others—much…

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  68. Delivering Value (and BBQ)

    On Coca-Cola’s website, they reference the introduction of New Coke in 1985 as “the marketing blunder of the century,” because they overlooked the “deep emotional attachment” consumers had to the original formula. My experience –both personal and observed – is that most people have an emotional…

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  69. My Parting Advice

    I recently had the experience of completing a nine-year stint as President and CEO of a $1.5 Billion annual revenue company. The leadership team was comprised of 12 very talented individuals that served with me as officers. Knowing that any change in a team can affect that team’s effectiveness and…

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  70. My Three Be’s

    Tackle an uncertain future with these three decision making principles. Triumph announced recently that we are acquiring National Bancshares, the parent holding company of THE National Bank, a community bank with a presence in Iowa, Illinois, and Wisconsin. Some people have asked, “Why is Triumph buying a bank so far…

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  71. Inspired by the Buffett

    The A, B, Cs of applying Warren Buffett’s recent wisdom to Triumph. In the company of millions, I have been studying Warren Buffett’s 2013 shareholder letter since its release several weeks ago. When someone grows the book value of a company by 19% annually for over 40 years like Warren…

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  72. Trip of a Lifetime: Memories from El Salvador

    Life Changing. Powerful. Convicting. Impactful. These words were used by Triumph team members to describe the “trip of a lifetime” to El Salvador. On February 3rd, our 12-person team left for El Salvador with Living Water International to build a water well and to teach hygiene classes to the village…

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  73. Overflow: Day Four in El Salvador

    “Este pozo es donado por Triumph Bancorp y Living Water International en el nombre de Jesus.” These words will rest forever on a water well in a village outside of Acajutla, El Salvador and will resonate forever in the hearts of the Triumph team members. Translated, the plaque reads: “This…

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  74. Drops in the Bucket: Day Three in El Salvador

    For the Triumph team, each day in El Salvador has been a drop of water in the bucket. Our goal is knowing at the end of the week, the bucket (or water well in this case) will be overflowing. The Triumph team and the Living Water International (LWI) drilling team…

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  75. “Thank You For Giving Us Live Water”: Day Two in El Salvador

    “Thank You for Giving Us Live Water” adorned a sign made by the children in the village. This sign hanging outside of the school inspired the Triumph team this morning. A sign made by the children in the village encourages the team as they begin their second day in El…

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  76. Establishing Viable Communities: Day One in El Salvador

    At least 783 million people around the world lack access to clean drinking water, and the lack of clean drinking water leads to 2.2 million deaths each year. By partnering with Living Water International (LWI), which drills wells to provide clean drinking water to the world’s poorest communities, Triumph is…

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  77. Fiscal Cliffs, Kicking the Can Down the Road, and Other Failures

    Prioritizing immediate gratification versus building value over the long term is on full display in Washington, D.C. these days. No one has been able to craft a solution to the fact that spending more money than you make will eventually leave you bankrupt – even if you have a printing…

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  78. Reflect and be Thankful

    At Triumph, the Christmas spirit is seen in more than just our festive decorations and joyful parties—it is seen most clearly in the hearts of our generous people. In support of Behind Every Door, the Triumph team came together to collect an overwhelming amount of coats, clothing and canned goods…

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  79. What’s The Big Deal with Thanksgiving?

    I suppose everybody deals with the holiday season in their own ways. My mom, for example, declared Thanksgiving was her Holiday. We were free to spend all of the other holidays wherever we wanted (not really, that was the premise), but we had all better show up at her house…

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  80. The Power to Choose…

    We have our National, State and local elections coming up in a few weeks. It is not unusual to hear around election time how important it is that we exercise our right to vote. We see others living around the world that don’t have this right – some of these…

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  81. Meritocracy. It’s Brutal.

    Some thoughts on succeeding in business. I was listening to a radio broadcast of the Cowboys/Seahawks football game a couple of weeks ago. One of the announcers mentioned that there were only two players left on the Seahawks who had been members of the Super Bowl team of 2006. A…

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  82. Where Is Your Tool Belt?

    Team member Keith Shepelwich remembers his first day on the job when he didn’t know the difference in a torque wrench and a hacksaw. After working in the telecommunications industry for six years, I was eager to begin a new career in commercial real estate. Aaron Graft, the founder of…

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  83. Who is Triumph and Why Should I Care?

    This is officially my first attempt at blogging. I enjoy reading others’ blogs. I often wonder why their lives are so much more interesting than mine and how they get their iPhone to take such good pictures. At the risk of not having many interesting things to say or any…

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